The Bakery
by theboywiththebread12
Summary: In an attempt to forget the depressing memories of her late father, Katniss Everdeen moves to a different state, to start a different life. Her neighbour and old classmate Peeta Mellark is perfect, charming and sweet, but ultimately can he help her overcome her demons? AU. Rated T for later chapters.


"Gale! You're the one who agreed to help me move so will you please shut up!"

"I'm sorry Catnip, I just hate the fact that your moving." I sigh and put the box I was carrying down, turning to face him.

"I have to do this Gale. I can't do it. I can't live here with my mom like this. Prim is old enough to look after herself. She has my uncle Haymitch. I'm sorry Gale I just-"

"I know. Your Dad."

Yes my Dad.

My dad died two years ago, in a work accident. He worked in one of the tourist mines in the village. He used to take people on tours around the mines and according to my mom he used to work in the mine itself. That is until there was a freak accident.

An accident that cost my father his life.

Ever since then my mother has zoned out, like she is alive but not living. I was only 11 at the time and took to hunting in our local woods as a hobby. It took my mind of my father and put food on the table. A win-win situation as far as I am concerned.

I met Gale a couple months after I first started doing it. There was a snare with a wild rabbit caught in it near to a tree. I hid behind it for the whole day seeing if anyone would claim it. Nobody did. So naturally I took it. Until Gale game and almost shot me with _his_ bow. We've been best friends ever since.

There are rumours in the village that we're together but none of them are true. It's a small village in the centre of Chicago where I live and I am moving to the outskirts. The memories of my father are too much for me to deal with now. I never had time to mourn for him. I was too busy taking care of my little sister Primrose who was 7 at the time. I am now 22, Prim 18. She is growing up to fast for my liking and I hate it.

"You know it's not just that Gale." He walks away, proceeding to load my car with the few boxes of clothes and other belongings that I have. After the last box is packed, Gale turns to face me.

"Then what is it?"

"Are you driving or what?" I get into the driver's side, ignoring his question. It takes about an hour to drive to my new apartment building. It's a new block, only built around 2 years ago. It is modern yet classy and the rent is cheap. A big factor when your new job is working in a diner that pays minimum wage.

We both enter the building, Gale hauling a box up the three flights of stairs to my new home. I walk up to the receptionist in the lobby, a woman of about my age.

"Hi. I'm Katniss Everdeen," I say. "I'm moving into an apartment today?"

"What's the number?"

"3B." She hands over the keys and gestures where the stairs are. By the time I get there Gale is panting, still holding the box outside my door.

"I told you not to bring the box up until we had the keys." I point out. He ignores me.

I open the door and he places the box in the hallway, trudging downstairs to get the others. I, on the other hand, am in awe of the place. The thin hallway is painted white. On your right a door leading off into a very modern bathroom, on your left the cloakroom. Straight on is the living room, a classy black and silver with a huge couch and television in the centre. The kitchen, my bedroom and the spare bedroom all lead on from that but I am too star struck to even notice.

"Are you Katniss?" I startle at the voice and poke my head out of the living room into the hallway. There is a tall man standing in my hallway. But I don't tell him to go away. I don't even ask why he is in my house.

Because I can't stop staring at him.

He is obviously very muscular by the way his arms could rip out of his sleeves in a second if he moved his arm an inch. He has ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead, somewhat hiding his fair eyebrows. And his eyes are the most perfect blue I've ever seen.

"Y-yes, yes I am." I move further towards him and outstretch my hand for him to shake. "I, um, I just moved in today. Who are you again?"

He laughs and I think it is the sweetest sound I have ever heard come out of someone's mouth.

"You don't have to be nervous Katniss. I'm Peeta, Peeta Mellark." He takes my hand and firmly shakes it. "I live across the hall. Looks like we're neighbours."

"Looks like we are!" I smile.

"So, um, I was wondering do you need any help? Unloading I mean."

"No, I'll be fine. Gale came with me so I've been forcing all the heavy lifting up on him."

"Oh, I see. Is Gale y-your boyfriend?"

"No!" I exclaim but calm by voice after his eyes grow wide. "Sorry. No, me and Gale are best friends, always have been always will be. I don't see Gale like that."

"Forgive me." He says. "I must be off then if you don't need any help. Got the famous Mellark cupcakes in the oven and I don't want them to burn!"

"You bake?" I ask. He blushes.

"A little bit. It's kinda my job. You could come over a little later if you like. I'll cook you something. I know you'll barely have anything to eat."

"Thank you. I'd like that."

"Well, um, bye Katniss."

"I'll see you later Peeta."

Even after he has left I still feel his presence in the room. I have barely known him five minutes, yet I know I would put my life in his hands in a heartbeat, without a second thought. Gale comes upstairs with the last of the boxes and tells me he'll come over again tomorrow, after I have everything unpacked.

It doesn't take me long. I don't start right away because I'm not sure I can bring myself to sort through old clothes I will probably never wear. But after I've had something to eat and flipped through the channels on the television, I got too bored. I contemplate knocking the door across the hall to go and see Peeta but it would be way to embarrassing and awkward. So I fall asleep right there on the couch.

* * *

"Katniss! Katniss, are you home?"

I grunt and reluctantly leave the comfort of the couch. I open the door, rubbing my sleepy eyes, and am startled to find a flustered, messy haired, mucky Peeta.

"Oh, um hi Katniss, I'm sorry I woke you I was just wondering if you were still coming over tonight because well I was really looking forward to it, you know, because I haven't seen you in like forever and your new to the building and I thought we could get to know each other, but it doesn't matter of you have plans with your boyfriend I won't mind I just-"

"_Peeta."_

"I want you to come and I totally understand if you're spending the night with Gale-"

"Peeta, I'm coming, okay? That is, if it's still alright with you. I overslept I'm sorry. And Gale is _not _my boyfriend."

"No! Don't apologise I mean you can come round tomorrow night if you want. I know you must be stressed, what with the move and all."

"Just calm down for me, please? You're talking _way _too quickly. I'll be round in five minutes, just let me get changed okay?"

I shut the door and scold myself for missing my dinner with Peeta. I know he would've gone to a lot of trouble; he just seems to be that sort of person. I walk into the bathroom and quickly wash my face, removing my eyes of the yellow sleep that collected in the corner of my eye. I brush my teeth and change into a simple figure hugging yellow dress that comes just above the knees. I put my hair down.

I stride over to Peeta's house lightly knocking on his door. He answers straight away, as if he has been waiting for my arrival. He himself has changed as well. He looks incredibly smarter than he did before, almost _sexy?_

_Whoa, where did that come from!? _

I shake the thought out of my head and lightly smile at him.

"So, where are these cupcakes?" He laughs.

"There in the kitchen, hidden away. I thought you'd want something a little more-savoury."

He opened the door and led me through the hallway, almost identical to my own, apart from the whole place being covered in paintings that look very expensive. We went through the living room to the kitchen which really took my breath away. The island in the centre of his kitchen was covered in food.

"Peeta, why did you go to all this trouble!?"

"Trouble! Pfft, it was no trouble!"

"This must of taken you hours!"

"Hey, nothing I wouldn't do for a new neighbour and a Panem High survivor!"

"How do you know I went to Panem High?"

"Well we were in the same class for almost 7 years." He mumbles.

I almost spit the water I was drinking out. Peeta Mellark in my class! For a whole 7 years? How did I not notice?

"Anyway, do you want some chicken-"

"You were really in my class?"

"-parmesan." He sighs. "Yes I was. Nobody really took any notice of me anyways! I was the kid who sat at the back of the class doodling in my notebook and well one day Mr Brookes found my notebook and I became the guy that had a crush on…"

"Crush on who!"

"Nobody! It doesn't matter anyway," he says. "You probably wouldn't remember them and we never went out."

"Well it's her loss." I smile.

We carry on drinking and laughing and when Peeta serves dinner I really am astonished at how well he can cook. I later found out that he can bake and that he works in his parent's bakery. After we've finished I take a look around his house with my glass of wine in hand. It's a carbon copy of mine with the layout of the rooms but looks ultimately cosier and _lived in._ Covering the plain white walls of his living room are paintings of landscapes; snowy ones and sunny ones, even just a field.

"Hey Peeta!" I shout.

"Yeah?" he comes in from the kitchen, wiping his hands dry with a towel.

"Where'd you get these paintings? They're amazing."

"Um actually, I painted them."

I'm rendered speechless. This seemingly perfect guy has gotten even better. He's smarter, funnier and definitely more attractive than any other guy I've dated, or known for that matter and in the few hours that I've been with him he has never ceased to amaze me.

"Are you serious?! Peeta, these are perfect. I mean the detail and the blend of colours you've used are just-"

"Thank you but really they aren't that good. It's just a hobby. I have 2 brothers so I'm not at the bakery all the time and, I don't know, it's something to do."

"Well you are very, very good at it." He looks at my almost empty wine glass.

"Another drink?"

"No, thank you Peeta." I look at the time. "I really need to get off. I have work in the morning and I'm positive I'm boring you to tears-"

"No!" he winces at how loud he was. "You're certainly not boring me to tears. Tonight's been really nice and I've enjoyed getting to know you."

"Me too." I smile.

He shows me to the door after I've collected my things and I thank him for a lovely night and promise we'll do it again soon.

* * *

A month after my evening with Peeta I'm positive we're good friends and he is someone I can trust and rely on. He'll come round to my place sometimes but I frequently go round to his, usually to trial a new recipe for his family bakery. Gale teases me relentlessly about it and the friends I have at the restaurant I work at in town are just happy I have someone to talk to other than Gale. A knock on the door startles me out of my daydream. I plod over to the door and as I expected, Peeta is on the other side.

"Oh hey Peet! Come in."

"No its fine, I need to get back, my family are over. I was just wondering if, um, tomorrow or any day really, you'd like to come down to the bakery? You really don't have to I just thought because we've been talking about it a lot lately, you'd want to."

"Sure! What time?"

"After work if you want?"

"I'll see you there."

And that's what happened. After a long day at work I took a walk to the bakery, which really wasn't far away. From the outside it looked like a typical bakery. It was a small building but was well looked after. I walked in the door and a bell rung above the door, alerting someone at the counter I had arrived. Instead of Peeta at the counter it was a man, I guessed one of his two brothers. As soon as the bell rang, his head snapped up.

"Hi! Welcome to Mellark Bakery, how can I help you?"

"Hey, I'm Katniss. I was wondering if-"

"You're _the _Katniss!"

"What?"

"You're the one my little brother won't stop talking about! You've made quite an impression on him."

"Well me and Peeta are good friends. Is he here?"

"He's in the back, I'll get him. I'm Rye by the way."

There are some high stools in front of the counter so I take a seat on one of those and look around. To my left is a large display cabinet full of cookies, cakes, pastries and bread. To my right is just a long countertop.

"I _swear to god_ Rye, if you said anything to her-"

"I didn't little bro, don't you worry, your secrets safe with me."

I don't even have time to think about this before Peeta's smiling face appears through the doorway.

"Hey Kat. How was work?"

"It was good, hard work, but still good." He stands opposite me but behind the counter.

"Then you deserve to be rewarded! Anything you want, on the house."

"Peeta, that's very sweet and I appreciate it but this is a _family_ business meaning the whole family is affected if I don't pay. So be quiet and get me a cupcake."

He walks around the countertop getting my food whilst we chat about nothing.

"So have you spoken to Prim lately?"

"Not as much as I should've." He gives me a disapproving look. "Hey, I blame you!" He cracks a smile and laughs.

"Tut tut Miss Everdeen, what are we going to do with you?" he says, handing me my cupcake.

"Kill me." I smile, taking a bite of my cupcake. He leans over the counter so we're closer together. He swipes some of my frosting with his finger.

"Hey! That's crossing a line!" He eats the frosting off of his finger.

"Who said there was a line?" He smiles that smile I have grown to love so terribly. His blue eyes are twinkling in the sunlight.

I grin and shake my head from sided to side. "I'm speechless Peeta Mellark, I really am."

Rye walks in from the back doorway and smiles at us so close together. He walks over and pats Peeta on the back.

"Great! You finally told her you like her!"

**A/N: Hey guys! Long time, no see! I've been super busy over the last few months and now that Catching Fire is 18 days away, I knew I needed to crack on. I'm super excited because I'm going to see it at midnight!**

**Just a few notes about this fanfic in general:**

**-I WILL NOT be updating this fic often. I don't have much spare time anymore and so will try to update as frequently as possible, but usually around school holidays. Most terms are around 2 months long, so expect that amount of time between updates. Sorry for any unhappiness this may cause but it is the only way I can get good quality chapters for you instead of rushed ones. I hope you all can understand that.**

**-I don't plan for this fic to be as long as my previous one as this is just a bit of fun to me but you never know.**

**And that's about it guys. Thank you so much for reading and hopefully reviewing and I am really glad to be back on fanfiction! I have big plans for this fic and this chapter is just the start. Please follow me on twitter ** peetas_donut

**See you in a couple months xo**


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